The One with the Christmas Lights

"RACHEL!" Monika screamed as her best friend disappeared over the ledge. Monika jumped out the balcony window, running the short distance to the ledge. "Oh god. Oh god. Don't be dead. I take back everything I ever yelled at you for!"

"Oh, Monika, I'm not dead!" Rachel grumbled, "Just get me up!"

"Ok. Okay. Hold on!"

"Yep, yea cause I kind of have a ton of options right now."

"Ok, it's around your ankle, right?"

"Uh," Rachel pathetically attempted some acrobatic move to twist around midair to see what it was that allowed her to still be living at the moment, and then froze when she felt the lights slip around what must be her ankle. "Uh, I think so, but uh, I can't move at all right now. Monika…hurry!"

"Alright, I'm coming. Can you grab the line of lights?"

"Mmm…" Rachel slowly inched her hands toward the lights. "Yea, Yes!"

"Ok, just hang on. I'm gonna try and pull you up!" Monika pulled on the string of lights.

"OW!" Rachel screamed.

"Geez, Rachel, since when did you get so heavy?!"

"You're the one to talk!" Rachel shot back and then felt the lights slip a little more. "No, Stop. Stop! STOP!"

"What? What's wrong?" Monika froze.

"Monika, you gotta get help. Every time I move, the lights slip a little more!"

"Well, then I can't just let go of the line!"

"Hate to break it to you, Mon, but you haven't actually pulled me up at all! Go get the guys!... OH, oh, and knock on Mr. Heckles' door!"

"Mr. Heckles? Why?"

"Because I'm right outside his window!" Rachel growled.

"Oh my god, okay. Just…stay put!"

"Wasn't really planning on going anywhere."

Monika ran back inside and across the hallway, banging on the guys' door. "JOEY! CHANDLER! OPEN UP!"

"You know, I think the whole neighborhood heard you knocking, Monika. What?" Chandler opened the door.

"Good! Rachel….Rachel…."

"Rachel…" Joey prompted, coming up behind Chandler.

"She fell out the window!"

"She what?!" "Oh my god!"

"Oh and…and she's outside Mr. Heckle's window."

"She's dead against Mr. Heckle's window? How'd that happen?" Joey asked.

Monika hit him. "She's not dead! No. No the lights caught her ankle. Oh, just…. Chandler call 911 and go check on her out our balcony. Joey, you're coming with me!"

"Where?" Joey implored.

"Mr. Heckle's!" Monika answered, pulling Joey along.

Joey was still being dragged by Monika as he shook his head. "No, no nono. He doesn't like me."

Monika was still pulling him as she replied, "He likes you better than the rest of us!" She stood him up outside Door 5. Now, knock on his door!"

"Rachel?" Chandler called tentatively.

"Chandler! Hi! Can you get me up!"

"Uh, sure, I'll just cut you right down." Chandler moved and paused, then laughed, "Actually. I just realized that might be a bad idea."

"You think?!"

"Ok, okay. Just hang on."

"If someone tells me to just hang on one more time!"

"Sorry. Just… I called for help and Monika and Joey are getting Mr. Heckler!"

"You better have a good reason for disturbing my tea time." Mr. Heckler deadpanned as he slowly opened the door.

"Mr. Heckler, I'm so sorry, but… OH MY GOD, RACHEL!" Monika shrieked.

"What about her?"

Joey was staring bug eyed with his neck tilted out the window, furiously shaking his pointed finger at their friend dangling outside the window. Mr. Heckler rolled his eyes and glanced to what the Italian kid was freaking out about this time. "Oh. Oh my. That is a problem."

"Can we open your window!" Monika demanded.

"Yea. Yea, go ahead."

"JOEY!" Monika yanked him again she ran to the window. She pulled against the window. "Oh, it's stuck. Joey, I need your help!" Monika waved frantically out the window for her friend to stay put, "WE'RE COMING!"

"Got it!" Joey called, pulling the window out. "Hey, Rach, how's it hanging?"

"Just get me inside!"

"Right!"

"Ok, Joey you get around her waist and I'll come help, on three."

"Oh, I don't know about that…"

"Joey!" Rachel pleaded. "Free boob access this one time, I don't even care. Just. Get. Me. DOWN!"

"Hey, how come Joey gets that job?!" Chandler called down.

Joey shrugged, "Monika, we doing this?"

"One. Two. Three. Ok, we got you. We got you."

"Ugh, I'm stuck, the lights." Rachel called, the three of them halfway leaned over the window.

"Chandler!" Monika called, "Cut the rest of the lights down!"

"Got it!"

Suddenly there was no more tension and the three friends toppled into Mr. Heckler's living room with an oomph!

"Uh, Monika," Joey called, "Can you move you knee, it's kind of pressing against…"

"Ugh!" Monika disentangled herself from the top side of the pile up. Joey enjoyed one last look on top of Rachel, who just patted him on the head. "My hero."

"Hey, who got all the help to get you down?!" Monika demanded.

"Oh? Who demanded I get the stupid lights down in the first place?" Rachel questioned going to stand up and realizing there was still a long string of lights attached to her ankle going out the window. "Argh!" She disentangled her ankle kicking the lights off and watching them fall into oblivion. She fell back to the floor with a relieved sigh. "Oh my god. I could have died over Christmas lights. And to think, I haven't even tried Chanel's new perfume!"

"That's what your concerned about?!" Monika cried. And then starting laughing and crying at the same time as she hugged her best friend.

Joey nodded in the corner. "We did alright…. Thanks for the help, Mr. Heckles."

Mr. Heckles had simply been sipping his tea, watching the whole spectacle unfold. Joey and Monika helped Rachel limp out of his apartment. As they were leaving he called, "You owe me Christmas lights."